Suspect in the Murder of Vahram Khorkhoruni Detained; Investigative Committee Reveals New Details

The suspect in the murder of former Deputy Minister of Defense Vahram Khorkhoruni, Sasun Arushanyan, has been detained. This was announced by the spokesperson of the Investigative Committee, Kima Avdalyan, to Auroranews. "There is one person detained in the case, and the court has approved the request to apply detention as a preventive measure," said the spokesperson.

It is noteworthy that the Investigative Committee had previously reported that after 27 years, the murder of Khorkhoruni has been solved, and one person, S.A., has been arrested.

As a result of extensive investigative and procedural actions during the pre-investigation phase of the criminal proceedings conducted by the Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee, as well as operational-search measures undertaken by RA National Security Service employees, it has been clarified that S.A., H.N., and A.A. committed the murder of former Deputy Minister of Defense Vahram Khorkhoruni on December 10, 1998, for mercenary motives, organized by S.A. and in collaboration with others. They also illegally acquired and kept firearms.

Particularly, S.A., being a serviceman, aimed to organize the murder of Vahram Khorkhoruni for mercenary motives. In November-December 1998, S.A. made arrangements with residents of Nagorno-Karabakh H.N. and A.A., offering them $10,000 and $15,000, respectively, to carry out the murder.

To execute the murder, S.A. acquired a homemade barrel and suppressor for a Makarov pistol from A.N., the brother of H.N., who was in close relationship with him. He mounted these on the illegal Makarov pistol he possessed, which was considered a criminal instrument. Later, he tested it outside the city to determine the degree of sound suppression, ensuring it did not adequately reduce the sound. To decrease the powder charge of the bullets, with A.N.'s assistance, he disassembled the cartridges and then reassembled them, leaving traces of technical intervention on the cartridges and bullets.

H.N. and A.A. arrived in Yerevan on December 7, 1998, to carry out their criminal intent, while S.A. came on December 8, bringing along the firearms used in the crime.

S.A. coordinated and fully planned the group's actions. On December 8, he took his accomplices to the building where Vahram Khorkhoruni lived.

On the evening of December 9, 1998, members of the criminal group met with prior agreement at Republic Square and went to Khorkhoruni's residence in H.N.'s vehicle, where they lay in wait for him to return home.

According to the preliminary division of roles, H.N. waited in the car while S.A. and A.A. positioned themselves near the entrance of the building. At approximately 00:30 on December 10, 1998, when Khorkhoruni entered the building, S.A. and A.A., acting as accomplices, fired five shots at him with the aforementioned weapon they possessed, modified to fire 9mm bullets, resulting in Khorkhoruni’s death at the scene.

Immediately after the crime, S.A., A.A., and H.N. fled the scene. Based on sufficient evidence of the commission of the crime obtained during the investigation, public criminal proceedings were initiated against S.A. under Part 2, Point 10 of Article 155 of the Criminal Code (murder committed for mercenary motives) and Part 1 of Article 335 (illegal circulation of weapons, their main components, military ammunition, and other materials, devices, objects).